Throttling vaporizer for hydrocarbon engines



Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. LIGHTFORD, OF INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA.

THROTTLING VAPORIZER FOR I-IYDROCARBON ENGINES.

Application filed December $8, 1923. Serial No. 683,155.

may be applied to any hydrocarbon engine.

such that the vaporizer will not interfere with the carburation and control of the en gine at any speed.

Itis well known that many devices have been developed for the purpose of introducing an aqueous vapor into the combustible mixture just prior to the admission of the mixtureto the combustion chamber of the engine, and it has been determined that sucha vapor produces so improved an action of the engine thatany device f0rsuccessfully introducing thevapor into the engine intake meets a popular demand. However, it has been developed that such vaporizers as have beenheretofore produced are primarily effective at a constant speed only, such that should the speed be changed, the

air introduced into the engine intake from 3 the vaporizer device materially affectsthe hydrocarbon-air mixture coming from the carburetor, and a resulting mixture too lean or too rich for combustion at the particular new speed is produced, that can not be overcome by the flexibility of the carbu rotor.

Such a result leads to a loss of power, or waste of fuel, and more seriously, either a stalling of the engine or poor accelerationan actionfof great objection andhandicap in such an engine as the varying speed engine of the automobile.

lVith the improvement I have" conceived constituting my invention, I have succeeded in devising means whereby vapor isnot only introduced into the engine intake automatically only when the engine is at a proper working temperature, but its flow into the engine intake is regulated according to the engine speed and'the consequent carburetor requirements. With my invention, the engine may idle or be quickly accelerated with- .out the vapor introduction interfering with the carburation; vapor is introduced into the engine only when the proper temperature is reached; the engine may be warmed up before the vaporizer comes into act-ion; no vaporizing means other than the usual radiator is required; no adjustments of my device are required to compensate weather fluctuations and the installation is easily and readily made to any engine, particularly in the automotive field. My invention comprises few parts, is free of complication and is produced at a low cost.

{I accomplish these and other objects as lustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a. top plan view of my throttling vaporizer; Fig. 2 is the same view as in Fig. 1, with the top cover removed to show the thermostatic control; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 83 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a view showing my vaporizer attached to an engine and one method of connecting it to the radiator overflow pipe, the intake manifold, and the carburetor control.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views. 7

My vaporizer is comprised primarily of a rectangular box-shaped body 5 having a boss 6 in one end on which is firmly seated and secureda bi-metal thermostatic arm 7 by means of the screw 8, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The arm 7 has one corner cut off to fit snugly against the triangular raised portion 6 such that the arm may be assembled in the body in one way only to. insure the arm having the proper metal upward to cause an increase in temperature to prgduce an upward bending eifect in the arm On the opposite under side of the body 5 is the depending nipple 9 having the internal vertical passage 10, the valve seat 11 at the upper end of the passage 10, and the enlargement of the passageqlO above the valve seat to receive with a loose fit the. valve plug 12-, with its depending stem 13 adapted by its conical end'toseat' on'the'seat 11 and so close the passage .10. Extending laterally from'the nipple 9 is the nipple 14:

having an internal passage 15 discharging into the enlarged section of the passage 10. The free end of the arm 7 1s "bifurcated and engages in the annular groove 16- .of-

may hereinafter appear by the means as ilwhen heated.

-'ODltll6 1Od2144: such that theconnectedrocker arm 23lisglifted fromthe valve head v19.

the valve plug 12, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, such that the valve plug is normally held down by the arm 7 to cause the stem 13 to close the passage 10.

The body 5 is enclosed by the cover 17 held in position by battering over the edge of the body at points as at 18. Extending up through an opening in the cover 17 is the valve plug head 19. Pivotally mounted on the pin 20 supported by the arm 21 extended from the body 5 is the rocker 22 having the arms 23 and'24. The arm 23 is pressed on the valve plug head 19 by meansof the coil spring 25 which has the end 26 hooked over the arm 23 and its other end 27 bearing against the body 5. A stud 28 fits loosely through'an eye in the outer end of the arm 24. The stud is formed with the eye 29 and the shoulders 30 and is adjustably secured to the arm 24: by the nut 31 and the lock nut 32.

The body 5 is provided with a bracket 33 by means of which the body is attached to some convenient point on the engine 16, Fig.

l, such as by means of the manifold cap screw 34. To the nipple His attached the tube 35 by the union nut 36, which tube connects with'the overflow pipe 37 of the radiator 38. Atube 39 leads from the depending nipple 9 into the intake manifold such manifold being the manifold leading from the carburetor 40.

Itigidly '11101111E6Cl. on the throttle shaft of the carburetor l0 is a bell crank having the arms 41 and 42. Tothe arm 41 ispivotally secured the usual'throttle rod 4L3, and to the arm 42, I pivotally secure one end of the'rod 4: Iwhich has its c-therend pivotally secured to the stud 28 through its eye 29. The arm 24: ishere showncurved to afford clearance of the rod 44 behind the tube 35.

WVhile 'I havehere shown one method of mounting the vaporizer body 5 and its connecting :parts such as the rod 4a and the tubes 35 and-39, the mounting and connections will vary withtheindividual-design ofthe engine. It is preferably'desired, however, to'mount the body5 on or closely adj acent to the exhaust manifold of the engine to aiforda means of supplying'the necessary heat to operatethe thermostaticarm 7.

An important feature of my invention is that the tension of the spring 25 be suflicientlygreat to'hold the valve stem 13 on its seat inoppositionto the'lifting efi'ect of the arm 7 asthe arm tends to spring upward Assumingthatthe'engine is cold on which my vaporizer isinstalled, the engine is started in the customary manner and the throttle rod 43 .is pushed forward, toward the carburetor, to open the throttle valve-within the carburetor. Asthe rod 43 travels forward,the bell crank arm 4:2 pulls. downward Should the engine still be cold, which would imply that the waterin the radiator had not reached a temperature whereby any appreciable amount of vapor was passing off from the water, the arm 7 would remain in its normal position and maintain a closed pas- .sageway to the engine intake manifold from the radiator overflow by keeping the valve plug stemon its seat 11. WVith continued operation of the engine, the engine temperature rises correspondingly heating the arm 7 when the arm will start bending upward to lift the valve'plug 12 to open thepassage '10, such'that the vacuunrin-the intakemanifold 45 will cause a flow of air and vapor from the radiatoroverflow pipe37 through .-the tube 35, passage 15, around the valve .10, so stopping the admission of any air" as well as vapor into. the engine intake manifold .other than that entering through the carburetor. The distance between the shoulders 30 on the-stud'28 and the under side of the .nut 31 is slightly greater than the thickness of the arm 24:, to permit of idling .speed adjustments, the take up of lost motion in the throttle rod and other connections, and .to permit the spring to seat the valve stem effectually.

'l-Iaving ,fully described gmy invention in the form now bestjknown to me, and as modificationsmay be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, I do notdesire to be limited to the preciseform as shown any more than may be required 'by the following claims.

I claim: 1. Ina vaporizer for hydrocarbon engines, the combination with an intake manifold, a radiatoroverfiow pipe, anda carburetor throttle control, :of'means of.thermo statically controlling the opening ofapassageway from said radiator overflow pipe to said intake.manifold,and means of controlling said thermostaticmeans operated in conjunction with-said carburetor throttlecontrol andnormally resisting said thermostatic means. 7

.2. In a vaporizer :for hydrocarbon engines, the-combination with an intake manifold,;-a radiator overflow :pipe, anda carburetor throttle control, of thermostatic means ofiopening and closing a passageway from said'radiator overflow pipe to said intake .manifold, saidmeans comprising a bi-metal thermostatic. armfixed in a'body by one end andengaging with the free end avalve plug intercepting :said passageway wwithin the body; and. meanssecured .to said carburetor throttle control of preventing said thermostatic means from opening said passageway at low engine speeds.

3. In a vaporizer for hydrocarbon engines, the combination with an intake manifold, a radiator overflow pipe, and a carburetor throttle control, of thermostatic means of opening and closing a passageway from. said radiator overflow pipe to said intake manifold, said means comprising a bi-metal thermostatic arnrfixed in a body at one end, and a valve plug engaging with the free end of the thermostatic arm and intercepting said passageway within the body; a rocker arm adapted to seat said valve plug; means of seating said valve plug through said rocker arm and overcoming said thermostatic means; and means cooperating with the travel of said carburetor throttle control operating on said rocker arm to permit said thermostatic means to function at predetermined engine speeds and to prevent said thermostatic means from functioning at lower engine speeds.

fold, a radiator overflow pipe, and a carburetor throttle control, of thermostatic means of opening and closing a passageway from said radiator overflow pipe to said intake manifold, said -means comprising a bimetal thermostatic arm fixed in a body by one end and a valve plug engaging with the free end of the thermostatic arm and intercepting said passageway within the body; a rocker arm; a spring causing said rocker arm to bear onsaid valve plug with a pressure greater than that exerted by the thermostatic arm;' and adjustable means connecting said carburetor throttle control with said rocker arm to permit a short travel of the said carburetor throttle control before causing a corresponding travel of the said rocker arm.

Signed at Indianapolis, county of Marion and State of Indiana, this 24th day of De cember, 1923.

WILLIAM L. LIGH'IFORD. 

